Countless passengers globally found themselves stranded after Airbus mandated urgent software updates for 6,000 A320-series planes, impacting over half of the narrow-body fleet and mandating airlines to halt operations during one of the peak travel weekends of the year.
The directive, among the most substantial in Airbus’s 55 years, quickly influenced U.S. holiday travel and extended to Australia. The disturbance, attributed to solar flares, severely affected Asia, where the A320 family is essential for short-distance networks.
American Airlines, the largest A320 operator globally, informed CNBC that the Airbus recall affected 209 planes, reduced from over 340 initially reported. “By 6 p.m. CT, American had fewer than 150 aircraft left to update,” American Airlines stated.
“We anticipate that the vast majority will be finished today and throughout the night, with only a few remaining for completion tomorrow.”
United Airlines reported that six of its aircraft were impacted, expecting “minimal disruptions to a few flights.” Delta Air Lines shared that fewer than 50 of its A320 fleet were affected.
Japan’s ANA Holdings canceled 95 domestic flights on Saturday, affecting approximately 13,200 travelers. The airline, along with its partners like Peach Aviation, manages the largest Airbus narrow-body fleet in the nation, while rival Japan Airlines predominantly utilizes Boeing aircraft.
Air India, partially held by Singapore Airlines, reported completing software updates on over 40% of its impacted aircraft and stated that there were no cancellations, though some flights encountered delays or rescheduling.
Scoot, another airline under the Singapore Airlines umbrella, stated that 21 of its 29 A320s required the fix and that they aimed to finish the updates by Saturday.
In Australia, Jetstar Airways canceled approximately 90 flights after identifying 34 aircraft needing the software adjustment.
“As of 3:30 pm [local time], 20 of the 34 affected aircraft are prepared to return to service. We expect the others to be ready overnight, allowing flights to proceed as scheduled on Sunday, November 30,” a spokesperson for Jetstar informed CNBC.
The low-cost airline and its parent company, Qantas, which represents Australia’s national flag carrier, together account for about 65% of the domestic market, while competitor Virgin Australia, operating four A320s, holds a 33% market share.
“We do not foresee any impact on Virgin Australia or our Regional Airline services,” the airline declared.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency highlighted in a directive that a JetBlue flight faced an “uncommanded and limited pitch down event” on October 30. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration also released an emergency directive on Friday, instructing operators of the affected model to resolve the issue.
Airbus indicated that the order came after “a recent incident involving an A320 Family aircraft revealed that intense solar radiation might corrupt essential data crucial to flight control functions.”
Regulators cautioned that this issue could potentially result in “an uncommanded elevator movement” in the worst-case scenario.
